Coin-controlled lock



Apr. 3,1923 1,450,355

M. COHEN COIN CONTROLLED LOCK Filed June. '1, 1920 2 sheet s-sheet i 1 Fig.1. i 3 5 24 as 4 0' oi I I loi I O I lnvenTor. Myer Cohen A1Tys.

Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

UNITED STATES MYER COHEN, OF REVERE, MASSACHUSETTS.

- COIN-CONTROLLED LOCK.

Application filed .Tune 1,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MYER COHEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Revere, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Coin-Controlled Locks, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to a coin-controlled lock for a drawer, container or other receptacle which requires the insertion of one coin to permit the drawer to be locked and the key to be removed and the insertion of another coin to permit the drawer to be unlocked again. The invention is capable of being put to a variety of uses, butI have particularly in mind itsiuse as applied to a cabinet containing a plurality of drawers and which is adapted to act as a depository for articles to be cleaned, such, for instance, as soiled gloves, or other soiled articles, and as a receptacle to receive these articles again after they have been cleansed.

lVhen used in this way I propose to provide a cabinet with a plurality of compartments or drawers, each having its individual key. This cabinet may be placed'in some convenient location, and if any individual wishes to have his gloves or any other similar articles cleansed, he willplace them in one of the drawers and then insert the proper coin and lock the drawer, taking the key with him. 'The concern that does the cleansing will by theuse of a master key open the drawers at stated intervals, remove the articles and cleanse them and replace them in the drawers again and lock the drawers. After a specified time, the customer or patron will come back to the oabi- 'net and by inserting another coin, he can unlock his particular drawer with the key which he has removed therefrom and there'- by gain access to the cleansed articles therein. The sum of the two coins thus inserted tolock the drawer and then to unlock it again will be the amount charged'for cleaning the gloves or other articles. If, for instance. the chargeis ten'cents for cleaning a pair of gloves, then the device may be constructed so that it will require the insertion of a five cent piece to lock the drawer after the soiled gloves areinserted,

and then the insertion of another five cent piece to enable the patron to unlock the 1920. Serial No. 385,418.

a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described, after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended.

claims.

In the drawings, Fig. '1 is a view of the drawer showing the coin-controlled lock in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a section on substantially the line 22, Fig. 1;

F 3 is a section on the line 33, 1; F g. 4 is a section on the line 44, Fig.1; F g. 5 is a section on the line 5-5, Fig.1; Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66, Fig. 1;

' Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the barrel for the key;

F 8 is a front view thereof;

F g. '9 is a view of the master key;

Fig. 10 is a front view of a cabinet embodying my invention;

F 11 is a planview thereof;

Figs. 12 to 22, inclusive, are diagrammatic views showing the positions of the parts in different'stages of the operation of locking the drawer and unlocking it again.

My invention can be applied to containers or receptacles of various different kinds and is herein shown as applied to the individual drawers of a cabinet. I have shown'atl in Figs. 10 and 11 a polygonal cabinet arranged with drawers on all sides thereof, but the invention, of course, can be embodied, in

a wall cabinet or in any otherkind of cabiv The lock for each drawer comprises a bolt 3 which operates at the front endu l of the,

drawer and is adapted to be projected upwardly beyond the top ofthe drawer and into a keeper in the rail 5 of the-cabinet above the drawer, as usual in the drawersof a desk 01 similar device. This "bolt 3 is connected by an arm 6 with a key-operated bar rel 7 which 'isrotatably mounted. The baroted, as shown at 9. This lower end of the bolt is curved slightly, as best seen in Fig. 1. When the barrel is turned with the arm 8 standing upright, as shown in Fins. 1 and 3, the bolt 3 will be projected. When the barrel is turned through 180 so as to bring the arm 8 below the barrel, then the bolt will be withdrawn. The curvature in the arm 6 permits this movement of the bolt and barrel. The barrel 7 is provided with a key slot 10 adapted for the reception of a key 11. The bolt and the barrel are situated directly back of the front a of the drawer, and the latter is provided with an opening 12 through which the key may be inserted into the barrel. The barrel and key are constructed so that the key can only be withdrawn when the bolt is projected, the key being locked in the barrel when the bolt is retracted. This is provided for by making the key 11 with the extension 13 which pro jects beyond the barrel when the key is inserted, as shown in Fig. l, and by providing a slot 1 1 in a fixed guard plate 15. which slot is in line with the extension 18 when the key is in the position shown in Fig. 4 with the bolt projected. When in this position the key can be withdrawn, but when the key is turned 180 thereby to bring the extension 13 on the upper side of the barrel, said extension comes behind a solid portion of the plate 15 and thus prevents the key from being withdrawn. The extension 13 of each key will be provided with a specially-termed serrated edge 150 which matches with the serrated edge 1.6 of a plate 17 that is fixed in the lock. Each key will have a differently-shaped serrated edge 150 and the lock for each key will have a plate 1'? with a complementally-shaped edge 16. and, therefore, the only key which can be used in any lock is that which corresponds to the particular plate 17 of the lock.

My improved lock is so designed that it cannot be operated to lock the drawer, as shown in Fig. 3, until a coin of the proper value has been dropped into the coin slot. and is so constructed that after the key has been. thus rem ved the bolt cannot be withdrawn thereby to unlock the drawer when the key is again inserted except by the insertion of another coin. Taccomplish this herein by providing a coin-actuated member which normally prevents the barrel from being turned, but which is actuated to release the barrel upon the insertion of a coin, which member is also constructed so that it will lock the barrel from turning movement after the key has been inserted into the key slot for the purpose of unlocking the drawer. but which releases the barrel when another coin is inserted. v

In the embodiment herein shown this coinactuating member is indicated at 1.9 and is in the formo't a lev r pivoted at 20 to the housing 21 that receives the lock and which is provided with a weighted end 22 that eX- tends over the barrel '7. The opposite end 28 is acoin-receiving end and is situated beneath a coin chute 25 so that when. a coin 25 is deposited into the chute 24, it will drop onto the end 28 of the member 19. The counter weight 22 is so proportioned that the weight of a coin on the end 23 will. overbalance the counterweight and turn the member 19 about its pivot.

The slot 10 in the barrel 7 is open on one side of the barrel and at the other side it is formed with the widened portion 26 which extends through the side of the barrel. l l hen the drawer is unlocked, the barrel is turned so that the open side of the slot 10 is at the top of the barrel. The member 19 is formed with 2. depending projection 28 which is adapted to enter the slot 10 when said member assumes the normal position illustrated "in F 12. The key 11 is provided on opposite edges with the notches 27 situated so that when the key is fully inserted into the barrel the notches will come beneath the projection 28. Consequently, when the bolt 8 is withdrawn and the drawer unlocked, as shown in Fig. 12, the projection 28 will occupy the slot 10 in the barrel and also the notch 27 of the key and the barrel is thereby locked from turning movement. This is the position'shown in F ig. 12, and. therefore, when the drawer is unlocked with the key in the lock. the barrel is normally locked from turning movement by the member 19. Moreover, when the key' is in this position the projection 28 occupies the notch 27 of the key and thus prevents the key from being withdrawn so that the member 19 acts normally both to lock the barrel from being turned when the drawer is unlocked and to lock the key in the barrel.

hen a coin is deposited in the coin slot 21 the weight of the coin on theend23 of the lever will depress the latter thereby removing the projection 28 from the slot in the barrel and "from the notch 27 in the key, thus permitting the key to be operated to lock the drawer. \Vhen the barrel is turned into the position the member 19 is in its horizontal position shown in Fig. 20. the projection 28 will occupy the portion 26 of the slot and thus prevent the barrel from being turned and will. also occupy one of the notches 27 in the key, thus preventing the key from being withdrawn. The insertion of another coin in the coin slot will again depress the member 15) thereby to unlock the barrel and permit thelock'to be actuated. The member 19, therefore, operates to lock 'the barrel from turning movement both when the drawer is unlocked and when the drawer is locked.

Situated beneath the end 28 otthe member shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and

depressed position until at a certain point in the cycle of operations the member 19 is positively returned to its normal operative position. For thus controlling the position of the member 19 the barrel 7 is provided with agear29 which meshes with a rack 30 that is slidably mounted in ways 31 and that carries at its outer end a head 32 which functions both as a stop to limit the coinactuated movement of the member 19 under certain conditions and also as a cam to raise the coin-actuated member 19 off from the magnet under other conditions. For the latter purpose the head 32 is provided with a cam face and the member 19 is provided with an extension 341 which is engaged by the cam face 33 when the rack moves to the left. The member 19 also has an 'arm 35 loosely pivoted thereto at 36 which co-operates with the rest 32 to limit the downward movement of said member under certain conditions.

Before describing the operation ofthe device, I will refer briefly to one way in which I proposed to use "the invention, and that is in connection with a cabinet adapted to receive from patrons soiled gloves, handkerchiefs, collars orother similar articles of laundry and to deliver said articles again to the patrons after they have been cleaned. 'When used'in this way, any patron or customer who has apair of gloves, collars, handkerchiefs or similar articles which are to be cleansed will come to the cabinet, select an unlocked drawer with the key in it, open the drawer and insert the gloves or other articles to be cleansed. The patron will then close the drawer, but before locking it, it will be necessary for 'him'to insert coin in the coin slot. The value of the coin thus inserted will be one-half of the total amount to be charged for cleansing the article. The insertion of the coin in the slot permits the drawer to be locked and the key to be withdrawn. The patron keeps the key for the purpose of unlocking the drawer and removing the articles after they have been cleansed. The proprietor of the cleansing establishment will. of course, have a master key bywvhichhe can secure access to the drawers and remove the articles for the purpose of cleansing them and for the purpose of replacing them in the drawers after they have been cleansed. After a suitable length of time and afterthe articles have been cleansed 3 and replaced in the drawer, the patron returns tothe cabinet with his key, inserts the key in the lock and then is obliged to drop anothercoin of equal value as the first coin in the coin slot in orderto permit him to unlock the drawer.

iHaving unlocked the drawer he may removev the cleansed article, and the two coins which have been deposited, one when the article is placed in the drawer, and the other when the article is removed, amount to the charge which will be made for cleansing the article.

These cabinets-may be placed in the corridors of hotels, in ofice buildings, or any other location convenient to the patrons.

The manner in which the device herein described functions to perform the locking and unlocking operations above described is illustrated diagrammatically in Figs. 12 to 22 which show various stages in the process. In these figures, I have illustrated simply the essential parts of the lock.

Fig. 12 shows the condition of the parts when the drawer is unlocked ready to receive the article to be cleansed- In this case the barrel 7 is turned so that the arm 8 is depending downwardly, as shown, and the key 11'is in the lock, and the projection 28. will be occupying one of the notches 27 of the key and will also occupy the slot in the barrel 7 The rack 80 is at its extreme position to the left and the head 32 is situated beneath the extension 34. Since the drawer is unlocked the patron may open the drawer and deposit the article in it.

When'the drawer is closed again, the patron will deposit a coin in the slot 2 1 and the weight of the coin will overbalance the weighted end 22 of the lever 19, thereby depressing the lever into'the position shown in Fig. 13. This brings the extension 34 onto the head 32, the latter operating to stop the downward movement of the lever 19 before it has moved into a position to permit the coin 25 to drop out of the slot 24. The

coin will thus be held on the end 23 of the member 19 and between the latter and the corner 38 of the coin slot. The turning of the member 19 into the position shown in Fig. 13 will withdraw the projection 28 from the slot 10 of the barrel and thus unlock it so that it can be turned by means of the key. The patron then locks the drawer by turning the .key a half revolution anti-clockwise thereby to bring the arm 8 above the'barrel, as shown in Fig. 15. Duringthis' turning movement of the barrel the gear29 moves the rack 30 to the right, and when the rack has been moved into the position shown in Fig. 14,"the head 32 will be moved", out from under the rest 34: thereby allowing the member 19 to swing further downwardly until the end 23 there of is' brought against the magnet '37. 'Vllhen in this position the coin is released and passes down the chute 39 into a suitable box or compartment adapted to receive the coins. The magnet'37 holds the member 19 in this depressed position 5 and thus holds the projection 28 raisedlout 'of the slot 10' in the barrel so as to permit the barrel to freely rotate into the position shown in Fig. 15. hen in this position the bolt 8 is fully projected and the drawer is locked and the parts are then in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

lVhen the member 19 is in the position shown in Fig. 15, the projection 28 is withdrawn from the notch 27 of the key so that the key is free to bewithdrawn from the lock. The turning of the barrel through 180 from the position shown in Fig. 12 to that shown in Fig. 15 has moved the rack 30 to its extreme position to the right and the head has been brought under the end 23, and in doing this it has swung the pivoted arm 35 to one side. This completes the operation of depositing the article in the drawer and the locking of the drawer by the patron.

The next procedure is for the proprietor to unlock the drawer with his master key, remove the article, cleanse the article, and then replace the article and lock the drawer again. The operation of the lock during this stage is illustrated in Figs. 16 to 19, inclusive, and the master key which the proprietor uses is illustrated in Fig. 9. This key is indicated at and it is made with the portion 411 to enter the slot of the barrel, but is not provided with the eXtension13. It also has the inclined surface 4:2, but does not have the notches 27. In place of that it has the portions 43. When the master key is inserted the parts are in the position shown in Fi with the coin-receiving'end of the member 19 held in its depressed position by the magnet and with the projection 28 raised. The proprietor inserts the key into the barrel and then turns the key clockwise thereby to withdraw the bolt 3. This turning movement of the key is freely permitted because of the position in which the member 19 is held. During the first part of the turning movement of the key the rack 30 withdrawn into the position shown inFig. 16 and during the latter or final turning movement of the key, said rack is thrown into the position shown in Fig. 17, in which the drawer is fully unlocked. As the rack 30 moves from the position shown in Fig. 16 to that shown in Fig. 17, the cam 33 thereof engages the extension 3 1 and raises the member 19 slightly thereby disconnecting it from the magnet 37. The proprietor then removes the article and locks the drawer again. The locking of the drawer by the turning of the key'through 180 anti-clockwise brings the parts into the position shown in Fig. 18 with the rack 30 moved to its extreme position to the right. During this movement of the rack the member 19 is not controlled by the magnet 37 because it has been separated therefrom sufficiently so that the weighted end 22 of said member 19 overcomes the attraction of the magnet. After the bolt has been fully projected, then the master key 10 is withdrawn, and when this occurs, the weighted end 22 of the member 19 swings said member into the position shown in Fig. 19.

then the proprietor returns with the cleansed article to replace said article in the drawer, then the operations shown in Figs. 16 to 19 are repeated. The patron now returns with his key and will insert the key into the lock, as shown in Fig. 20. During the inserting of the key the inclined portion 44: of the key will engagethe projection 28 and produce a slight swinging movement in the arm 19, but as soon as the key has been fully inserted, the weighted end 22 of the member 19 will restore it to the position shown in Fig. 20, and when in this position the key-locking projection 28 will occupy the portion 26 of the slot 10 and prevent the bar rel from being turned. In order to permit the patron to turn the key and unlock the drawer he is obliged to deposit another coin 25 in the coin slot 24, as shown in Fig. 21. The depositing of the coin partialy depresses the coin-actuating member 19 and brings the arm 35 against the head 32. This arm stops the movement of the member 19 before the end 23 has been brought into engagement with the magnet 37 and also before said end has moved downwardly to a point to permit the coin to pass the corner 88 of the coin slot. This movement of the member 19, however, is sufficient to elevate the projection 28 above the barrel so that the patron can then turn the key and barrel in a clockwise direction thereby withdrawing the bolt. As soon as the turning movement of the key commences the rack 30 is moved to the left and withdrawn from the arm thus allowing the member 19 to complete its downward movement under the weight of the coin into engagement with the magnet 37. the latter operating to hold the member 19 in this position. This final movement of the member 19 releases the coin so that it passes down the chute 39 into a suitable receptacle. When the drawer is fully unlocked the rack 30 has been moved to its extreme position to the left. thereby lnfinging the cam against the extension 3st and, raising the arm 19 away from the inagnet 37. thus breaking the electric attraction. The parts are thus restored to the position shown in Fig. 12 and the patron can then remove his cleansed article and depart.

Vhen the parts have been restored to the position shown in Fig. 12, the projection 28 on the member 19 again enters the slot 10 of the barrel 7 thereby locking the barrel from turning movement and, therefore. when the patron leaves the drawer it will be unlocked but the lock will be locked from operation until another coin is again deposited in the coin chute.

It will be seen that I have provided a simple mechanism which involves the deposit of one coin to lock the drawer by the patron and another coin to unlock the drawer.'

While in the above description of the invention I have referred to its use in connection with a cabinet or depository for receiving articles to be laundered or cleansed and for returning said articles when cleansed to the owner, yet it will be obvious that the invention is not limited to this use, but may be used in various ways where it is desired to provide for the insertion of a coin in order to look a compartment or container and the insertion 01 another coin in order to unlock the mit such operation upon the deposit of a coinin the coin'slot, and means to maintain said coinc0ntr0lled means inoperative so far as preventing the bolt from being operated is concerned while said bolt is actuated to unlock the drawer and then to lock it again, said coin-controlled means again becoming operative after the second locking of the drawer tolock the bolt from movement.

2. In a lock for a drawer or other container, the combination with a key-operated bolt, of a key to operate said bolt, a coin slot, and coin-controlled means normally preventing the bolt from being operated to lock the drawer but adapted to permit such operation upon the deposit of a coin in the coin slot, said means being rendered operative by the subsequent unlocking and locking of the drawer again to prevent the unlocking of the drawer when the key is inserted into the look again but adapted to permit such operation upon the deposit of another coin.

3. In a lock for a drawer or other container, the combination with a barrel having a key slot, of a bolt connected thereto and operated by the rotation of the barrel, a coin slot, coin-controlled means normally locking the barrel from rotation while the drawer is unlocked but constructed to permit such rotation upon the deposit of a coin in the coin slot, and means to maintain said coin-controlled means inoperative while the barrel is turned to unlock the drawer and then to lock it again, said coin-controlled means then becoming operative again to lock the barrel from turning.

4. In a lock for a drawer or other container, the combination with a barrel having a key slot, of a 'bolt connected thereto and operated by the rotation of .the barrel, a

key to ro-tatethe barrel, a coin slot, and coiucontrolled means normally locking the bar;-

rel from rotation while the drawer; is an locked buticonstructed to permit such ro tation upon the deposit of a coin in the coin slot, said means rendered operative by the subsequent locking and unlockln'g'oi the drawer to prevent the rotation of the barrel to withdraw thebolt when the key is again inserted into the barrel but adapted to per-- mit such rotation upon the deposit of anothercoin.

5. In-a lock for a drawer or other container, the combination with a rotatable barrel having a key slot, oi'a bolt connected to said barrel, a coin slot, amovable coin-ac tuated'member normally locking the barrel from rotation when the; drawer is unlocked, said member being constructed to be actuated by a coin deposited in the coin slot to release the barrel, means to maintain said member inoperative while the barrel is turned to unlock the drawer and then to lock it again, said member then becoming operative to lock the barrel from rotation.

6. In a lock for drawers and other containers, the combination with a rotatable barrel having a key slot, of a bolt connected to said barrel, a key to rotate the barrel, a coin slot, a movable coin-actuated member normally locking the barrel from rotative movement when the drawer is unlocked, said member being moved by a coin deposited in the coin slot thereby to unlock the barrel,

meansto hold said member in its inoperative position after the drawer is locked and tuated by the unlocking and subsequent look-- ing of the drawer again by a master key to restore said coin-actuated member to normal position.

7. In a lockfor drawers and other containers, the combination with a rotatable barrel having a key slot, of a bolt connected to the barrel, a coin slot, a movable coin-actuated member normally locking the barrel from rotation but arranged to release the barrel upon the insertion of a coin in the coin slot, a magnet to hold said member in its inoperative position in which it has been placed by said coin, and means actuated by the unlocking and subsequent locking of the drawer again by a master key to restore said member to operative position, in which it looks the barrel from turning movement whereby the insertion of another coin is necessary to permit the drawer to be unlocked again.

8. In a lock for a drawer or other container, the combination with a rotatable barrel having a key slot, of a bolt connected to said barrel, a coin slot, coin-controlled means normally preventing the rotation of theba'rthe key has been withdrawn, and means aci rel while the drawer is unlocked but arranged to release the barrel upon the insertion of a coin in the coin slot thereby permitting the drawer to be locked, said means being rendered operative by a master key to lock the barrel'from rotation after the drawer is locked whereby the insertion of a second coin is necessary to unlock the drawer.

9; In a lock for a drawer or other container the combination with a keyoperated bolt, of a key, a coin slot, and coin-controlled means normally preventing the withdrawal of the key from the lock and the bolt from being operated when the drawer is unlocked but adapted to release both the key and the bolt upon the insertion of a coin in the coin slot, said means again becoming operative to lock the bolt after the bolt has been unlocked and locked again by a master key.

of the key from the lock and the bolt from being operated when the drawer is unlocked but adapted to release both the key and the bolt upon the insertion of a coin in the coin slot, said means being rendered operative by a master key to lock the bolt from movement after the drawer is locked, but adapted to again release the bolt upon the insertion of a second coin. Y

11. In a lock for a drawer or other container, the combination with a key-operated bolt, of a coin slot, and coin-controlled means normally preventing the bolt from being op erated to lock the drawer but adapted to permit such operation upon the deposit of a coin in the coin slot, said means again becoming operative to lock the bolt from movement after the bolt has been actuated to unlock and lock the drawer again.

12. In a lock for drawers or other con tainers, the combination with a key-operated bolt, of a coin slot, and means wiereby the lock and then lock the drawer between the insertion of said coins.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

MYER COHEN. 

